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http://www.archive.org/details/originhistoryofmOOmosh 


REV.  WILLIAM  C.  MOSHER,  A.  M., 
ALHAMBRA,  CAL. 


ORIGIN    AND   HISTORY 


OF  THE 


MOSHER  FAMILY 

AND 

GENEALOGY  OF  ONE  BRANCH 

OF  THAT  FAMILY 

FROM  THE 

YEAR  1600 


TO 


THE  PRESENT  TIME 


COMPILED  BY 

WILLIAM  c/mOSHER,  A.  M. 

ALHAMBRA,  CAL. 
1898 


1898 

THE  TIMES-MIRROR  PRINT 

1,08   ANGEI.ES,    CAI,. 


INTRODUCTION. 


This  history  and  genealogy  of  the  Mosher  family  is  compiled 
for  the  present  surviving  members  of  that  family,  many  of 
vi^hom  have  but  a  limited  knowledge  of  their  ancestry.  The 
information  here  recorded  has  been  gathered  b}^  genealogists 
in  this  country  and  in  England,  from  parish,  town  and  city 
records  of  the  olden  time.  Much  information  has  also  been 
gleaned  from  Austen's  Genealogical  Dictionary,  and  from  the 
Narragansett  Historical  Register,  as  well  as  from  other  reg- 
isters. In  tracing  the  origin  of  the  family,  use  has  been  made 
of  an  unpublished  autobiography,  written  by  Rev.  Charles 
Mosher,  which  was  found  among  his  papers  after  his  death,  in 
1828.  Valuable  information  has  also  been  obtained  from 
Josiah  Mosher,  brother  of  Lieut.  John  Mosher,  who  was  an 
officer  in  the  8th  Mass.  Regt.  during  the  entire  Revolutionary 
war.  The  compiler  of  this  book  made  him  a  visit  in  1845, 
and  received  from  him  much  reliable  information  in  regard  to 
the  origin  of  his  family,  and  in  regard  to  Sir  Hugh  Mosher, 
who  made  a  large  fortune  in  Calcutta  while  a  member  of  the 
East  India  Company. 

No  attempt  has  been  made  to  trace  all  the  branches  of  the 
family  tree,  extending  through  ten  generations  and  containing 
thousands  of  names,  as  this  would  be  too  great  a  task.  The 
search  has  been  confined  to  the  branch  with  which  the  com- 
piler of  this  book  is  connected.  He  reverently  dedicates  the 
book  to  the  living  members  of  the  Mosher  family. 

William  C.  Mosher. 


HDSTORY.., 


AND 


GENEALOGY 


OF  THE 


MOSHER  FAMILY 


(X 


History  and  Genealogy  of  the 
Mosher  Family. 

The  earliest  traditions  of  the  Mosher  family  locate  them  in 
Alsace,  in  the  northeast  part  of  France,  about  the  year  1580. 
Alsace  was  a  German  province  prior  to  1697,  when  it  was 
annexed  to  France  by  L,ouis  XIV.  The  home  of  the  Moshers 
was  in  the  southern  part,  near  Strassburg.  The  name  implies 
that  the  family  is  of  German  origin,  for  it  is  compounded  of 
two  German  words,  Mos  and  Herr,  which  when  combined 
mean  moss  lord,  or  ' '  Lord  of  the  Moss, ' '  from  the  circumstance 
that  the  founder  of  the  family,  being  a  man  of  wealth  and 
prominence,  had  his  residence  on  a  mossy  mound  or  hill. 

After  Alsace  was  annexed  to  France  both  the  French  and 
German  languages  were  spoken.  The  French  method  of 
spelling  the  name  was  Mosier,  or  Motier.  In  England  the 
original  German  method  was  generally  used — Mosher.  In 
religion  the  family  were  Protestants,  and  with  many  others 
fled  to  England  to  escape  persecution.  It  is  supposed  that 
they  went  to  England  under  the  leadership  of  Hugh  Mosher, 
and  that  the  migration  took  place  prior  to  the  year  1600. 
They  located  in  Manchester,  Chester  and  London. 

A  genealogist  who  searched  the  records  of  Manchester  a 
few  years  ago,  found  that  one  William  Mosher  was  appointed 
by-law  man,  or  road  overseer,  Sept.  2,  1616.  His  will  was 
found    recorded    in    the    register    of    the    probate    court    of 


1 1 

Manchester  in  162 1.  He  had  not  lived  there  many  years, 
for  the  name  is  one  that  does  not  belong  to  Manchester, 
or  Chester,  for  there  is  no  record  of  it  on  the  records  of 
those  cities  prior  to  16 14.  In  1614,  William  Mosher  is  de- 
scribed as  a  "silk  weaver,"  and  in  1619  as  a  "gentleman." 
In  his  will,  made  in  1620,  he  calls  himself  a  "chapman,"  or 
"  Merchant."  His  being  a  silk  weaver  proves  that  he  came 
from  France,  for  there  were  very  few  silk  weavers  in  Eng- 
land prior  to  this  time,  and  these  few  came  from  France. 
He  died  suddenly  in  1620,  leaving  two  children,  Mary 
and  John.  The  Manchester  records  show  that  he  had 
four  brothers — ^John,  Thomas,  Stephen  and  George,  with  three 
of  whom  he  was  in  a  business  partnership.  Strange  as  it 
may  seem  three  of  these  brothers  had  each  a  son  named  Hugh, 
who  were  distinguished  men.  They  were  all  living  in  1620. 
I.  Hugh,  son  of  John  Mosher,  seems  to  have  been  a  man 
of  superior  business  talents.  lycaving  Manchester,  he  went 
to  London,  where  he  became  a  member  of  the  Kast  India  Com- 
pany, which  had  been  chartered  by  Queen  Elizabeth  in  the 
year  1600.  He  was  sent  by  the  company  to  Calcutta,  where 
he  made  large  investments  in  real  estate,  and  became  owner  of 
a  tract  of  land  through  which  one  of  the  principal  streets  of 
the  city  afterwards  extended,  making  his  land  so  very  valuable 
that  it  was  considered  worth  several  millions  of  pounds  sterling. 
In  his  old  age  he  returned  to  England,  where,  in  consideration 
of  his  wealth  and  his  great  services  to  the  East  India  Company, 
he  was  honored  with  knighthood,  being  created  a  baron.  As 
he  left  no  children  to  inherit  his  property,  efforts  were  made 
by  the  Mosher  family  in  the  United  States,    at  various  times 


12 

during  the  present  century,  to  obtain  this  fortune,  but  without 
success,  as  it  had  probably  reverted  to  the  English  crown. 

II.  Another  Hugh  Mosher,  cousin  of  the  former,  was  a 
son  of  Thomas  Mosher.  He  sailed  from  L,ondon  in  the  ship 
"James,"  in  1632,  and  reached  Boston  June  i6th,  of  that 
year.  Four  years  later  he  went  to  Casco  Bay,  Maine,  where 
he  bought  and  improved  two  islands,  now  in  Freeport,  called 
Great  Island  and  Little  Island,  where  he  lived  for  a  time  and 
then  removed  to  Falmouth,  where  he  made  a  permanent  home 
and  raised  a  family.  He  died  in  1666,  leaving  two  sons — 
James  and  John.  Three  years  after  his  death  those  sons  sold 
the  two  islands  in  Casco  Bay  to  one  John  Lane .  Afterwards 
they  sold  300  acres  on  Hamsichett  river  to  Joseph  Nash,  and 
removed,  first,  to  Portland  and  then  to  Gorham.  After  this 
we  are  not  able  to  trace  them,  although  the  Moshers  now 
residing  in  Maine  are  probably  their  descendants. 

III.  A  third  Hugh  Mosher,  cousin  of  the  two  already 
mentioned,  was  the  son  of  Stephen  Mosher,  of  Manchester, 
England.  He  sailed  for  America  and  reached  Boston  in  1636. 
He  first  located  in  Salem,  where  he  became  a  friend  of  Roger 
Williams,  pastor  of  the  Salem  church,  with  whose  religious 
views  he  was  in  full  sympathy.  Roger  Williams  was  perse- 
cuted by  the  civil  authorities  for  openly  advocating  liberty  of 
conscience  in  religious  matters  and  the  separation  of  church 
and  state.  When  he  was  banished  from  Massachusetts  in 
October,  1636,  Hugh  Mosher  went  with  him  to  Rhode  Island, 
or  joined  him  there  during  the  winter  of  that  year,  which  was 
severely  cold  and  the  hardships  very  great.  Roger  Williams 
was  grateful  for  the  assistance  rendered  him  by  Hugh  Mosher, 


13 

and  afterwards  rewarded  him  with  substantial  tokens  of  his 
gratitude,  securing  for  him  a  permanent  title  to  a  fifth  part  of 
the  large  and  fertile  township  of  Westerly,  Rhode  Island, 
August  4,  1676.  In  1669  Hugh  Mosher  was  appointed  by  the 
general  court  Ensign  of  a  military  company,  and  he  took  part 
in  the  war  against  King  Philip,  distinguishing  himself  by  his 
daring  and  bravery.  In  this  war  all  the  New  England  colonies 
saifered  greatly,  and  during  the  12  years  of  its  continuance 
about  40  towns  were  burned  and  more  than  1000  white  men 
were  killed,  among  whom  were  two  sons  of  Hugh  Mosher. 
Sympathizing  with  Roger  Williams  in  his  religious  views,  he 
became  a  Baptist,  and  in  1674  he  was  ordained  pastor  of  the 
Baptist  church  in  Dartmouth,  in  the  southern  part  of  Mass- 
achusetts, near  the  boundary  line  of  Rhode  Island.  But  after 
his  ordination  he  was  always  called  by  his  military  title — En- 
sign Hugh  Mosher.     He  died  at  Newport,  R.  I.,  in  1694. 


The  genealogy  of  the  Mosher  family,  so  far  as  known,  may 
be  summed  up  as  follows: 

Prior  to  the  year  1600  there  were  in  Manchester  and  London, 
England,  five  brothers  named  Mosier,  or  Mosher,  namely, 
William,  John,  Thomas,  Stephen,  and  George.  Three  of  these 
brothers  had  sons  named  Hugh,  who  were  distinguished  men. 

I.  Hugh,  son  of  John  Mosher,  went  to  Calcutta,  where  he 
amassed  a  fortune,  and  on  his  return  to  England  he  was  hon- 
ored with  knighthood.  He  died  in  lyOndon,  leaving  no 
children. 


II.  Hugh,  son  of  Thomas  Mosher,  sailed  for  America  1632 
and  reached  Boston  June  16  of  that  year.  He  settled  in  Maine, 
where  his  descendants  still  live. 

III.  Ensign  Hugh  Mosher,  son  of  Stephen  Mosher,  of 
Manchester,  England,  reached  Boston  in  1636.  He  went  to 
Rhode  Island,  where  he  was  associated  with  Roger  Williams 
in  the  settlement  of  that  colony.  He  died  in  Newport,  R.  I. 
in  1694.  His  wife  was  Lydia  Maxon.  His  children  were 
Hugh,  John,  Nicholas,  Joseph,  Daniel,  and  James. 

I.  Rev.  Hugh  Mosher,  second,  son  of  Ensign  Hugh  Mosher, 
was  born  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  in  1633.  Died  in  17 13. 
Married  Rebecca  Harndell,  daughter  of  John  and  Sarah  Harn- 
dell.  His  children  were  Nicholas,  born  1666;  John,  born 
i668;  Joseph,  born  1670;  Mary,  born  1679;  James,  born 
1675;  Daniel,  born  1678;  Rebecca,  born  1677. — \_Bond's  Gene- 
alogy, p.  27.] 

The  children  of  Nicholas,  son  of  Rev.  Hugh  Mosher,  second. 

HUGH,  born  November  16,  1690. 
JOSEPH,  born  April  7,  1692. 
MARY,  born  December  16,  1695. 
ELIZABETH,  born  April  16,  1697. 
THOMAS,  born  February  26,  1699. 
NICHOLAS,  born  January  17,  1703. 
MERCY,  born  July  6,  1705. 
REBECCA,  born  March  2  1708. 
EPHRIAM,  born  March  5,  1710. 
MARGARET,  born  January  17,  1713. 

II.  John  Mosher,  son  of  Hugh  Mosher,  second,  born  1668, 
died  August  1739.   Married  Experience  Kirby,  March  5,  1692. 


15 

Children  : 

ROBERT,  born  October  12,  1693. 
HANNAH,  born  November  9,  1697. 
PATIENCE,  born  March  30,  1698. 
ABIGAIL,,  born  September  21,  1699. 
JOHN,  born  March  12,  1703. 
HANNAH,  born  March  13,  1712. 
SARAH,  born  June  9,  17 14. 

III.  Joseph  Mosher,  son  of  Hugh  Mosher,  second,  born 
1670,  died  1754..  Married  Lydia  Taber.  She  was  born  1673 
and  died   1743. 

Children  : 

REBECCA,  born  December  28,  1695. 
PHILIP,  born  December  20,  1697. 
JONATHAN,  born  March  13,  1699. 
JOSEPH,  born  June  23,  1701. 
JAMES,  born  December  13,  1704. 
RUTH,  born  September  17,  1707. 
BENJAMIN,  born  February  22,  1709. 
WILLIAM,  born  July  29,  1713. 
LYDIA,  born  April  15,  1719. 

IV.  Mary  Mosher,  daughter  of  Hugh  Mosher,  second, 
born  1672,  died  1748.  Married  Joseph  Rathbone,  May  19, 
169 1.     Died  1748. 

Children  : 

ELIZABETH,  born  March  14,  1692. 
JULIA,  born  March  i,  1694. 
REBECCA,  born  July  16,  1695. 
GRACE,  born  March  6,  1697. 
MARY,  born  November  29,  1700. 
MARGARET,  born  February  14,  1703. 
MERCY,  born  March  21,  1706. 


i6 

HANNAH,  born  October  4,  1707. 
JOSEPH,  born  February  26,  1710. 
BENJAMIN,  born  April  i,  1712. 
JOB,  born  June  15,  1714. 

V.  James  Mosher,  son  of  Hugh  Mosher,  second,  born 
1675.  Ivived  in  New  London,  Connecticut.  Married,  first, 
Catherine  Tosh,  July  6,  1704. 

Children  by  her : 

DANIEL,  born  October  13,  1705. 
MARY,  born  January  i,  1707. 
JAMES,  born  December  11,  1709. 
JOHN,  born  171 1. 
WILLIAM,  born  November  9,  1713. 

Married,  second,  Mary  Duval,  May  22,  17 14. 
Children  by  her : 

JOHN  WILLIAM,  born  June  4,  1715. 
TIMOTHY,  bor.i  October  27,  1716. 
JONATHAN,  born  May  9,  1718. 
DAVID,  born  March  29,  1720. 
JEREMIAH,  born  June  16,  1722. 
JAMES,  born  April  24,  1724. 
PHEBE,  born  May  10,  1726. 

VI.  Daniel  Mosher,  son  of   Hugh   Mosher,   second,    born 

1678,  died  1 75 1.     Married  Elizabeth  Edwards,  1704. 

Children  : 

BENJAMIN,  born  April  19,  1706. 

DANIEL,  born  July  i,  1709. 
MICAH,  born  September  27,  1711. 
CONSTANT,  born  September  11,  1713. 
RACHEL,  born  June  14,  1715. 
GEORGE,  born  May  9,  1717. 
EPHRIAM,  born  December  8,  17 18. 


17 

ROGER,  born  March  3,  1720. 
HUGH,  born  March  17,  1722. 
PATIENCE,  born  June  29,  1724. 
MERCY,  born  October  12,  1726. 

VII.  Rebecca  Mosher. 

VIII.  John  William  Mosher,  son  of  James  Mosher  and  Mary 
Duval,  was  born  June  4,  17 15.  He  married  November  12, 
1741,  at  Groton,  Mass.,  Blizabeth,  daughter  of  Zachariah 
and  Abigail  L,awrence,  who  was  born  at  Groton,  October  15, 
1720.     (See  Butler's  History,  p.  453-475). 

Their  children  : 

MARY,  born  April  11,  1743;  married  Wm.  Graham,  1772. 
JOHN,  born  February  8,  1745. 
JAMES,  born  July  31,  1747. 

ABIJAH,  born  August  17,  1749;  killed  in  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill. 
DAVID,  born  August  2,  1752;  killed  in  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill. 
JOSIAH,  born  May  31,  1757  ;  married  Rebecca  Doolittle. 
ELIZABETH,  born  July  31,  1760;  married  Sam'l  Moody  Emerson. 
HANNAH,  born  April  5,  1764. 

Lieut.  John  Mosher,  son  of  Wm.  John  Mosher,  born  Feb- 
ruary 8,  1745,  at  Pepperell,  Mass.,  married  October  i,  1770, 
Hannah,  daughter  of  William  and  Hannah  Boynton  Warren. 
She  was  born  June  7,  1753. 

William  Warren,  born  1724,  was  a  Minute  man  in  Capt. 
John  Nutting's  Company.  He  was  directly  descended  trom 
Arthur  Warren,  who  was  one  of  the  settlers  of  Weymouth  in 
1645,  who  was  a  (carefully  proven)  lineal  descendant  of  Wil- 
liam, Earl  of  Warren,  etc. 

William,  Earl  of  Warren,  a  Norman  baron  of  Danish  descent, 
was  the  first  of  the  name  known  on  English  soil.      He  accom- 


i8 

panied  William  the  Conquerer  on  his  expedition  to  England, 
and  took  an  important  part  in  the  battle  of  Hastings,  fought 
October  14,  1066.  For  his  valor  that  day  he  was  rewarded 
with  lands  in  Sussex,  Surrey,  Norfolk,  Suffolk,  and  had  con- 
ferred on  him  the  earldom  of  Surrey,  by  William. 

"  Before  the  conquest,  his  residence  was  at  Bellecombe,  in 
Normandy;  after  it,  he  dwelt  in  the  village  of  L,ewes,  County 
Sussex,  England.  He  married  Gundreda,  the  fourth  daughter 
of  William,  and  became  the  progenitor  of  the  earls  of  Warren 
and  of  Surrey.  From  this  ancestry,  the  Warrens  are  followed 
down  through  earls,  knights,  and  commoners,  to  the  period  of 
the  settlement  of  America." 

John  Mosher  commanded  a  company  of  Infantry  during  five 
years  in. the  Revolutionary  war,  and  was  in  the  battles  of  Lex- 
ington, Concord,  Bunker  Hill,  White  Plains,  Oriskany,  Sara- 
toga, Brandy  wine,  Germantown  and  Monmouth.  Was  dis- 
abled for  life  by  sunstroke  at  Monmouth.  He  died  at  New 
Hartford,  N.  Y.,  March  3,  18 17.  Hannah  Warren,  his  wife, 
died  August  15,  1795.  She  was  first  cousin  of  Gen.  Joseph 
Warren,  who  fell  in  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill. 

In  a  cemetery  at  East  Pepperell,  is  a  stone  slab  with  this  in- 
scription: "  Rufus,  aged  9  years  and  6  months,  Son  of  Lieut. 
John  Mosher  and  his  Wife,  Hannah.  Died  Sept.  24,  1789." 
This  was  beside  the  grave  of  Col.  Prescott.  "  Earliest  History, 
1666-1875,"  p.  257-8,  by  Charles  W.  Baird,  gives  the  following: 

A   NOTABLE    INCIDENT    IN   THE    REVOLUTIONARY   WAR. 

"  It  was  near  Merritt's  tavern,   upper  part  of   King  street, 
that  one  of  the  most  notable   incidents  of  the  war  occurred. 


19 

On  Sunday,  May  20,  1778,  Captain  Juckett  was  stationed  here 
in  command  of  the  New  York  lines,  near  Ranson's  purchase. 
A  part  of  Delancey's  cavalry,  commanded  by  Capt.  Kipp, 
making  an  incursion  as  far  as  King  street,  fell  in  with  Capt. 
Juckett,  who  had  gone  a  short  distance  from  his  men,  and 
took  him  prisoner,  together  with  an  ensign  and  private.  The 
command  of  the  American  party  then"  devolved  on  L,ieut. 
Mosher,  who  retreated  with  them  to  a  spot  near  Merritt's  tav- 
ern, where  he  formed  his  men  in  a  solid  body,  or  hollow 
square,  with  fixed  bayonets.  They  were  ordered  not  to 
fire  a  shot  but  to  receive  the  enemy's  charge  in  silence 
until  further  instructions.  At  the  first  charge  the  Tory 
officer,  finding  himself  repulsed,  called  to  Mosher  to 
surrender  or  he  would  cut  his  party  in  pieces.  Mosher 's 
reply  was  one  of  defiance.  Another  charge  was  made 
and  sustained  in  the  same  manner.  But  after  the  third 
attack,  the  Americans  were  ordered  to  fire  on  the  retiring 
troops,  which  they  did  with  terrible  effect,  killing  ten  men  and 
dangerously  wounding  eighteen  others,  among  them  Capt. 
Kipp.  Two  of  the  British  officers  had  their  horses  killed  under 
them.  Mosher 's  men,  taking  advantage  of  the  discomfiture 
of  their  assailants,  escaped  to  a  neighboring  piece  of  woods, 
not  having  a  man  even  wounded. 

' '  This  is  said  to  have  been  the  most  astonishing  feat  on  the 
part  of  the  officers  and  men  that  was  enacted  during  the  whole 
war.  General  Washington  often  spoke  of  the  affair,  and  it 
was  reported  all  over  Europe  to  show  the  utility  of  the  bay- 
onet, and  that  a  small  party  of  infantry  thus  armed  may  suc- 
cessfully resist  a  strong  body  of  cavalry." 


20 

See  also  : 

History  of  Greenwich,  Conn.,  by  D.  Ward,  pp.  179-181  ;  and 
Hugh  Gaines'   New  York  Gazette  and  Weekly  Mercury,  Dec. 
10,  1781. 

Though  John  Mosher  bore  the  title  Lieutenant,  yet  he  was 
the  actual  commander  of  his  company  during  the  war.  He 
refused  the  title  of  Captain  out  of  regard  to  James  Nutting, 
the  nominal  captain,  who  was  absent  on  sick  leave  and  never 
returned,  for  he  died  in  1777. 

Another  incident  in  the  military'  life  of  Lieut.  John  Mosher 
is  worth  preserving.  In  July,  1777,  he  was  sent  by  Gen. 
Schuyler  with  a  letter  to  tory  Butler  at  Oriskany,  a  post  on  the 
Mohawk  river.  His  way  was  through  a  wilderness  infested 
with  hostile  Indians.  He  performed  the  journey  and  delivered 
the  letter  to  Butler,  but  on  his  return  he  narrowly  escaped 
being  killed  and  scalped  by  the  Indians,  who  laid  in  wait  for 
him.  His  life  was  saved  only  by  his  courage,  tact  and  great 
presence  of  mind.  One  bullet  was  shot  through  his  hat  and 
four  through  his  coat.  After  reaching  Gen.  Schuyler  he  was  put 
in  command  of  a  company  of  infantry,  with  which  he  joined 
Gen.  Herkimer  and  marched  to  the  relief  of  Fort  Stanwix, 
(now  Rome,  N.  Y.)  which  was  besieged  by  Gen.  St.  Leger 
with  1400  men,  composed  of  British,  Tories  and  Indians.  At 
Oriskany,  Gen.  Herkimer  fell  into  an  ambuscade  of  Tories 
and  Indians  and  was  defeated  with  the  loss  of  400  men.  Gen. 
Herkimer  was  mortally  wounded,  and  Capt.  John  Mosher 
assisted  to  carry  him  off  the  battle  field  to  a  place  of  safety, 
but  in  doing  so  he  nearly  lost  his  life  at  the  hands  of  the  sav- 
ages. Then  he  conducted  the  retreat  to  Albany,  in  command 
of  the  rear  guard.     In  a  few  days  he  joined  a  new  expedition 


21 

under  Gen.  Benedict  Arnold,  and  marched  with  him  to  the 
relief  of  Fort  Stanwix.  By  strategy  and  valor  they  defeated 
Gen.  St.  Leger's  army  and  relieved  the  fort. 

Lieut.  John  Mosher  was  so  pleased  with  the  country  at  the 
head-waters  of  the  Mohawk  river,  which  he  saw  while  on  this 
expedition,  that  after  the  war  was  over  he  decided  to  make 
that  region  his  home.  So,  in  1791,  he  sold  his  property  in 
Pepperell,  Mass.,  and  removed  with  his  family  to  what  is  now 
Whitesboro,  near  Utica,  N,  Y.,  where  he  bought  a  farm  and 
built  a  house.  Here  he  was  joined  by  his  brother,  Josiah, 
who  had  been  with  him  through  the  Revolutionary  war. 
Together  they  bought  800  acres  of  land  of  Judge  White,  at  50 
cents  an  acre.  Judge  White  had  obtained  a  large  tract  of  land 
of  the  government,  located  near  the  mouth  of  Sanquoit  creek, 
and  laid  out  a  town  which  he  named  Whitesboro.  John  and 
Josiah  selected  their  land  near  the  mouth  of  this  creek,  and  by 
dividing  it  equally,  they  each  had  400  acres,  on  which  they 
built  houses  and  established  their  families.  Near  Whitesboro 
some  of  their  posterity  remain  until  this  day. 

The  children  of  L,ieut.  John  and  Hannah  Warren  Mosher 
were: 

CHARLES,  born  at  Pepperell,  Mass.,  Feb.  21,  1772 


WARREN, 

May  2,  1774 

ABEL, 

Oct.  14,  1776 

BETSEY, 

April  24,  1779 

JOHN, 

June  5,  1781 

DANIEL, 

April  15,  1786 

ASAHEL, 

June  10,  1788 

ROGER, 

Mar.  12,  1790 

ABIJAH, 

Whitestown,  N. 

Y.,Mar.  3,1794 

22 

Rev.  Charles  Mosher,  oldest  son  of  Lieut.  John  Mosher,  was 
born  in  Pepperell,  Mass.,  Feb.  21,  1772.  Married  L,aura 
Parmele,  daughter,  of  Rev.  Reuben  Parmele  and  Laura 
Collins,  of  Ontario  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  20,  1808.  Died  at 
Elniira,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  12,  1828.  His  wife  died  at  Canandaigua, 
N.  Y.,  January  18,  1843. 

His  children  were  : 

I.  Hannah,  born  at  Romulus,  N.  Y.,  Maj^  g,  1809.  Mar- 
ried Timothy  Field,  first  cousin  of  Cj^us  W.  Field,  April, 
1840.     Died  at  Ontario,  Ind.,  1868. 

II.  Charles  Mosher,  born  in  Romulus,  N.  Y.,  June  24, 
181 1.  Married  Angelina  McKay  at  Warsaw,  N.  Y.,  April  23, 
1856.  Died  at  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  September  i,  1870.  He 
left  three  daughters,  i.  Grace,  born  June  16,  1861.  2. 
Florence,  born  September  16,  1863.  3.  Maude,  born  Jan- 
uary ID,  1867.  Grace  married  Wm.  M.  Wood  and  lives  in 
Paris.  Maude  married  in  London,  September  3,  1893,  John 
M.  Robertson.  She  lives  in  London.  He  was  president  of 
the  Citizens"  Bank  in  Des   Moines,  Iowa. 

III.  John  Mosher,  son  of  Rev.  Charles  Mosher,  born  at 
Romulus,  N.  Y.,  June  20,  1814.  Married  Margaret  Utley, 
June,  18^9.  He  was  a  banker  at  Lima  and  Canadaigua,  N.Y. 
Died  at  San  Francisco,  Cal.,   February  17,  1877. 

Children  were  Henry  Howell  and  Ella. 

IV.  Mary,  second  daughter  of  Rev.  Charles  Mosher,  born  at 

Genoa,  N.  Y.,  March  22,    1816.     Married   Clark  Barrows,   at 
Angelica,  N.  Y.,  June  10,  1838.     He  was  born  in  Watertown, 
N.  Y.,  December  20,    1813  ;   died  at  Ontario,  Ind.,  August  i, 
1859.     She  died  at  San  Francisco,  Cal.,  December  i,  1894. 
Children  of  Mary  Mosher  and  Clark  Barrows  are: 


23 

1.  Emily  lyOtiise,  born  in  Springville,   N.  Y.,   May 

II,  1839.   Died  at  lyorin,  Cal.,  March  22,  i8go.    Married 

Thomas  Stevenson  at  Mokelumne  Hill,  Cal.,  March  23, 

1864. 

Children  : 
WILLIAM  HENRY,  born  at  Mokelumne  Hill,  Cal.,  April  17,  1865. 
GEORGIA  ELOISE,  born  at  Madison,  Ga.,  November  25,  1867. 
FREDERICK  THOMPvSON,  born  at  San  Francisco,  June  7,  1871. 
HERBERT  BARROWS,  born  at  San  Francisco.  June  24,  1873. 
LAURIE  BARROWS,  born  at  San  Francisco,  April  i,  1877. 
CARRIE  LOUISA,  born  at  San  Francisco;  January  7,  1880. 
THOMAS  DEAN,  born  at  San  Francisco,  December  11,  1881. 

2.  William  Henry,  son  of  Mary  Mosher  and  Clark 
Barrows,  born  at  Warsaw,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  29,  1848.  Mar- 
ried Carrie  J.  McMurray  in  San  Francisco,  Cal.,  Jan. 
22,  1881. 

Children: 
RAY  KIP,  born  at  San  Francisco,  January  23,  1882. 

MARGUERITE  ANITA,  born  at  San  Francisco,  April  16,  1884. 

Died  at  Lorin,  Cal.,  December  2,  1887. 
LEIGH  FRANCIS,  born  at  Lorin,  Cal.,  June  8,  1888. 
OLIVE  EMILY,  born  at  Lorin,  Cal.,  January  16,  1890. 
WARREN  HARMON,  born  at  San  Francisco,  January  18,  1892. 

Died  in  San  Francisco,  September  21,  1896. 
DOROTHY,     orn  in  San  Francisco,  October  28,  1893. 

3.  Charles  Mosher,  son  of  Clark  and  Mary  Mosher 
Barrows,  born  in  Warsaw,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  3,  1845.  Mar- 
ried Minerva  Bowen,  born  in  Holmes  Co.,  O.,  July  31, 
1845. 

Children: 

1.  JENNIE  MOSHER,  born  at  La  Grange,    Ind.,  Jan.  2,  1868. 

2.  BERTHA  FIELD,         "  "  "  Jan.  2,  1870. 

3.  THOMAS,  "  "  "        July  11,  1876. 

4.  ETHEL  GRACE,  "  "  "         Feb.  5,  1882. 

5.  LAURA  C,  "  Fairbury,  Neb.,  April  27,  1873. 


24 

4-  Laura  Mosher,  daughter  of  Clark  and  Mary 
Barrows,  born  in  Springville,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  17,  1841. 
Has  been  a  teacher  many  years  in  San   Francisco. 

5.     Edward  Clark,  son  of  Clark  and  Mary  Mosher 

Barrows,  born  at  Ontario,  Ind.,  May  i,  1859.       He  is  a 

merchant  in  San  Francisco,  Cal. 

V.     Laura  Eunice,  daughter  of  Rev.  Charles  Mosher,  born 

at  Phelps,  N.  Y.,  March  i,  18 18.     Married  Joshua  H.  Darling 

at  Warsaw,  N.  Y.,  June  19,  1845.     She  died  in  Warsaw  Jan. 

I,  1862.     He  was  a  wealthy  banker  in  Warsaw  and  died  there 

March  21,  1869. 

Children : 
MARGARET  ANGEIvINE,  born  April  7,  1847. 
LAURA  E.  born  February  i,  1849.     Died  November  4,  1879. 
EDWARD  MOSHER,  born  June  6,  1852. 
GRACE,  born  April  21,  1854. 

KATE,  born  October  19,  1856.  Died  September  6,  1889. 
ALICE,  born  December  27,  1858.  Died  March  17,  1886. 
FREDERICK  WARREN,  born  Feb.  20,  i860.  Died  March  10,  1878. 

1.  Margaret  Angeline,  daughter  of  Laura  E.  Mosher 
and  J.  H.  Darling,  was  married  to  James  Wood  Chap- 
man, July  25,  1867. 

Children : 
ROBERT  MOSHER,  born  March  29,  1872. 
WILLIAM  BREWSTER,  born  October  11,  1875. 
GRACE  DARLING,  born  November  9,  1877. 
ARTHUR  WOOD,  born  December  5,  1879. 
ALICE  DARLING,  born  September  9,  1881. 

2.  Edward  Mosher  Darling,  son  of  Laura  E.  Mosher 
and  J.  H.  Darling,  was  married  to  Amelia  Ferris,  July, 
1876. 


25 

Children : 

EDWARD  FERRIS,  born  June  23,  1877.     Died  April  18,  1880. 
FREDERICK  W.  DARLING,  born  March  18,  1879. 
LAURA  AMELIA,  born  May  9,  1880. 
JOSHUA  FERRIS,  born  July  13,  1884. 
CARL  MOSHER,  born  November  10,  1887. 

VI.  Rev.  William  Collins,  son  of  Rev.  Charles  Mosher,  was 
born  at  Phelps,  N.  Y.,  April  24,  1820.  Married,  first,  Maria 
lyouisa  Billings,  daughter  of  Col.  Charles  E.  Billings  and 
Eunice  Storrs,  daughter  of  Rev.  Dr.  R.  S.  Storrs,  of  lyong 
Meadow,  Mass,  April  2nd,  1857.  She  died  at  Mokelumne 
Hill,  Cal.,  January  3,  1863.  Married,  second,  Mary  G. 
Stratton,  at  San  Francisco,  Cal.,  October  11,  1865.  She  was 
daughter  of  Judge  Edward  Stratton,  of  Lexington,  Missouri. 

The  children  of  these  two  marriages  are  as  follows : 

1.  William  Billings,  born  in  Pontiac,  Mich.,  Feb.  28, 
1858.     He  married  Nellie  May  Miller,  January  1 1 ,  1887  . 

Children : 

HUGH  HAROLD,  born  in  Pasadena,  Cal.,  Mar.  23,  1889. 
LUCEILLE  RUTH,  born  in  La  Grande,  Oregon,  June  6,  1891. 

2.  Charles  Eugene,  second  son  of  Rev.  W.  C. 
Mosher,  was  born  in  Pontiac,  Mich.,  Dec.  27,  1859. 
He  is  a  machinist  and  engineer. 

3.  Jennie  Storrs,  daughter  of  Rev.  W.  C.  Mosher, 
was  born  at  Mokelumne  Hill,  Cal.,  Nov.  12,  1862. 
These  three  were  children  of  Maria  Louisa  Billings,  the 
first  wife. 

Jennie  Storrs  Mosher  married  Peter  Wm.  Bruce 
Walker,   March  31,  1890. 


26 

Children : 

MARIE  EDWARDS,  born  Pasadena,  Cal.,  Sept.  26,  1891. 
ROBERT  BRUCE.  "  "  "        Feb.  12,  1893. 

WILLIAM  DONAIvD,    "  "  "        June  23,  1895. 

4.  Edward  Stratton,  son  of  Rev.  W.  C.  and  Mary 
Stratton  Mosher,  was  born  at  Placerville,  Cal.,  August 
7,  1866. 

5.  Lavinia  Edwards,  daughter  of  Rev.  W.  C.  and 
Mary  S.  Mosher,  was  born  at  Madison,  Georgia,  Dec. 
13,  1868.  Married  Albert  B.  Caldwell,  at  Pasadena, 
Cal.,  Jan.  26,  1887. 

Children : 

MIRIAM  WINIFRED,  born  Oct.  31,  1887. 
LEWIS  RAY,  born  Sept.  16,  1889. 
KENNETH  LIVINGSTON,  born  Jan.  7,  1895. 

6.  James  Walton,  son  of  Rev.  W.  C.  and  Mary  S. 
Mosher,  was  born  at  Madison,  Ga.,  Oct.  25,  1870. 
Graduated  at  the  State  Normal  School,  L,os  Angeles, 
Cal.,  in  1893.     Became  a  teacher. 

7.  Herbert  Collins,  son  of  Rev.  W.  C.  and  Mary 
S.  Mosher,  born  in  Madison,  Ga.,  Oct.  25,  1870.  Grad- 
uated at  the  State  Normal  School,  in  Los  Angeles,  Cal., 
in  1893.     Became  a  teacher. 

8.  Mary  Stratton,  daughter  of  Rev.  W.  C.  and 
Mary  S.  Mosher,  born  in  Wilmington,  Cal.,  May  22, 
1873.     Is  a  kindergarten  teacher. 

9.  Laura  Grace,  daughter  of  the  above,  born  in 
Pasadena,  Cal.,  August  29,  1876. 


27 

lo.  Robert  Parr,  son  of  W.  C.  and  Mary  S. 
Moslier,  was  born  at  Pasadena,  Cal.,  Jan.  7,  1884. 
Died  July  8,  1884. 

VII.  Reuben  Burrage  Mosher,  the  fourth  son  of  Rev.  Charles 
Mosher,  was  born  at  Galen,  N.  Y.,  June  10,  1822.  Married 
Jane  Flint  at  L,ansing,  Mich.,  Oct.,  1850.  He  died  at  Ontario, 
Ind.,  July,  1870.  His  wife  died  in  1856.  His  son  John  died 
in  1855.  He  was  a  soldier  during  the  Civil  War,  was  wounded 
and  taken  prisoner  at  Chattanooga  in  1864. 

Rev.  Charles  Mosher,  oldest  son  of  L,ieut.  John  Mosher,  was 
eighteen  years  old  when  his  father  removed  to  Oneida  County, 
N.  Y.  Being  desirous  of  obtaining  a  liberal  education,  he 
studied  in  the  academy  at  Hillsboro,  N.  H.,  and  at  Clinton, 
N.  Y.  He  received  the  degree  of  A.  M.  from  Hamilton  Col- 
lege. His  theological  studies  were  directed  by  Rev.  Dr.  Hyde, 
of  lyce,  Mass.  He  was  ordained  a  minister  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  by  the  Presbytery  of  Albany. 

After  his  ordination  he  received  a  commission  from  the  Home 
Missionary  Board  to  go  as  a  Home  Missionary  to  the  central 
parts  of  the  State  of  New  York,  where  he  was  directed  to 
organize  churches  and  supply  them  with  ministers.  In  the 
prosecution  of  this  work  he  organized  churches  at  Romulus, 
Genoa,  Phelps,  Clyde,  Galen,  Junius  and  Reading,  and  in 
each  of  these  churches  he  preached  for  several  years.  He  died 
while  making  a  horseback  journey  to  Elmira.  On  the  road  he 
was  overtaken  by  a  terrible  rain  storm,  and  although  his 
clothes  were  soaked  with  water,  he  rode  to  Irelandville,  where 
he  stayed  all  night.  But  his  exposure  brought  on  fever  and 
pneumonia  which  caused  his  death  within  four  days.      He  was 


28 

a  good  man  and  abundant  in  labors.     His  death  occurred  Nov. 
5,  1828. 

Josiah  Mosher,  fifth  son  of  John  William  Mosher,  was  born 
in  Groton,  Mass.,  May  31,  1757  Died  at  Sanquoit,  N.  Y., 
Aug.  15,  1846.  Married  Rebecca  Doolittle,  Aug.  31,  1779. 
She  died  at  Sanquoit,  N.  Y.,  May  9,  1832. 

Children : 


GEORGE  DOOIvITTIvE,  born  at 

Pepperell, 

Mass. 

,  17S1. 

NANCY, 

i  I 

(  ( 

1785- 

Married  Mr.  Shepherd. 

BETSY, 

tt 

(  ( 

1789. 

Married  Mr.  Clark. 

HIRAM,                                        '1 

ti 

i  i 

1794. 

BELINDA, 

i  ( 

(  ( 

1798. 

Married  Mr.  Knight. 

POIvLY, 

II 

(( 

1801. 

Married  Mr.  Luce. 

EMERSON, 

i  i 

1  i 

1804. 

Went  to  Augusta,  Ga. 

REBECCA, 

it 

a 

1809. 

Married  Dr.  Bishop. 

JOSIAH, 

tt 

tt 

1811 

CORNELIA  A.,  "  "  "       1814. 

Died  April  18,  1884. 

Cornelia  A.,  daughter  of  Josiah  Mosher,  married  Sterling 
A.  Millard,  November  27,  1839.  She  died  April  18,  1884. 
He  died  November  14,  1883. 


Children . 

CHARLES  STERLING,  born  September  21,  1840. 

JULIA  ELIZABETH,  "  August  21,  1842. 

GEORGE  ARTHUR,  "  June    4,  1847. 

SARAH  JANET,  "  April  10,  1849. 

ELIZA   CORNELIA,  "  May  26,  1851. 

WILLIAM  JOSIAH,  "  April  25,  1857. 

Julia  Elizabeth  Millard,  daughter  of  Sterling  A.  Millard  and 
Cornelia  A  Mosher,  married  (first)  Norman  A.  Williams,  Oct. 
10,  1866.     He  died  Oct.  13,  1879. 

Children : 

CORNELIA  E  ,  born  October  18,  1868. 
NORMAN  ALTON,  born  Feb.  17,  1872. 

Married  (second)  Dr.  William  H.  Watson,  of  Providence, 
R.  I.,  December  16,  189 1. 

Josiah  Mosher  was  an  officer  in  the  Eighth  Massachusetts 
Regiment,  and  was  in  seven  engagements  of  the  Revolutionary 
war.  When  his  brother,  Lieut.  John  Mosher,  was  disabled  in 
the  battle  of  Monmouth  he  took  command  of  the  company 
and  marched  with  Washington  to  the  Hudson,  and  to  the  end 
of  the  war.  He  was  a  tall  athletic  man,  and  had  an  intel- 
ligent and  noble  countenance. 

ABEE  MOSHER,  third  child  of  Eieut.  John  and  Hannah 
Warren  Mosher,  of  Pepperell,  Mass.,  was  born  October  14, 
1779.  Abel  Mosher  came  with  his  parents  to  Oneida  County 
in  1791,  when  twelve  years  old.  He  married  Sarah,  (daughter 
of  Ephriam  and  Sarah  Proctor  Warren),  in  New  Hartford, 
January  10,  1802.  She  was  born  at  Townsend,  Mass.,  March 
13,  1782.     Abel  Mosher  was  Ensign  in  the  war  of  181 2.      Died 


30 

Sept.  25,  1868.      He  drew  to  Utica  the  lumber  used  to  build 
the  first  frame  house  erected  in  that  city. 
Children: 

I.  Warren,  born  in  New  Hartford,  married  Sarah  Parsons 
of  Utica.     Died  .     Two  children: 

CHARLES,  killed  in  the  Civil  War,  May  12,  1864. 
SAMUEL  PARSONS. 

II.  Elizabeth,  born  in  New  Hartford,  June  12,  1803.  Died 
in  Sauquoit,  March  29,  1836.  Married  Chauncey  Sage  Butler 
of  Sauquoit,  May  9,  1826. 

Children: 

1.  John  Milton  Butler,  born  at  Sauquoit,  July  9, 
1827.  He  graduated  from  Hamilton  College  in  1848. 
He  was  elected  president  of  Oneida  County  bank,  Utica. 
Unmarried. 

2.  Charles  Addison  Butler,  born  August  10,  1829. 
Graduated  from  Hamilton  College  in  1851.  Married, 
August  23,  1871,  Martha,  daughter  of  Samuel  C.  Gil- 
bert and  Martha  Davis  of  Gilbertsville,  Otsego  Co., 
N.  Y.  His  wife  was  born  at  Gilbertsville,  November 
16,  1841.     She  died  at  Utica,  February  4,  1898. 

Children. 

Male  infaut,  died  September  11,  1872. 
ELIZABETH,  born  October  16,  1873. 
GILBERT,  born  December  7,  1886. 

3.  Elizabeth  Jennette  Bntler,  was  born  at  Sauquoit, 
August  21,  1834;  married  September  11,  1861;  P.  V. 
Rogers,  son  of  Dr.  Ralph  Rogers  and  Sarah  Corse,  of 
Watertown,  N.  Y.  He  was  born  December  30,  1824. 
Died  in  Utica,  July  2.  1895.     Was  graduated  at  Hamil- 


ton  College  in  1846.       Was  president  of  First  National 
Bank  of  Utica. 
Child: 

CHARLES  BUTLER  ROGERS,  born  in  Utica,  January 
23,  1865.  Graduated  at  Harvard  University  1888. 
Succeeded  his  father  as  president  of  First  National 
Bank,  1895.  Married  January  31, 1894,  Susan  Brayton, 
daughter  of  Edward  Salisbury  Brayton  and  Catherine 
Curtenius.  She  vi^as  born  November  9,  1865.  She 
died  April  3,  1898. 

Chauncey  Sage  Butler  married  for  a  second  wife,  Julia, 
daughter  of  Jacob  and  Jerusha  Huntington  Sherrill. 

Child: 

JULIA  HENRIETTA  BUTLER,  born  May  23,  1850. 

III.  Clarissa,  daughter  of  Abel  Mosher,  born  June  12, 
1806;  died  August  25,  1896;  married  May  4,  1831,  David  J. 
Millard,   who  was  born  June  6,  1804,  and  died  February  11, 

1875- 

Children: 

I.     Sarah   Jane,    born    March   20,    1832;   married  in 

Clayville,  N.  Y.,  October  2,  1861,  Samuel  Jones  L,ook, 

who  was  born  March  6,  1827,  at  Manheim,  N.  Y. 

Children: 

DAVID    MILLARD,    born    in  Clayville,  March  30,  1863. 
Graduated  at   Princeton  University  in   1886;  married 
April   27,    1892,  at  Albany,  N.  Y.,  Mariana   Townsend 
Reed. 
Children:  '     . 

David   Millard   Look,  Jr.,    born   in  New  York, 
October  11,   1895.      Died  in  New  York,  May  6, 
1898. 
TowNSKND  Reed  Look,  born  May  21,  1897. 


32 

SAMUEL  LOOMIS,  born  iu  Clayville,  August  lo,  1864: 
BENJAMIN  AVERY,  born  in  Clayville,  April  9,  1866. 
CLARA  HELEN,  born  in  Clayville,  October  30,  1867. 
SUSANNA  AVERY,  born  in  Clayville,  October  21,  1869. 
RICHARD  VEECH,  born  iu  Louisville,  Ky.,  June  7,  1878. 

2.  Rebecca  Gager,  second  daughter  of  D.  J.  and 
Clarissa  Mosher  Millard,  was  born  June  24,  1833;  mar- 
ried February  18,  1856,  George  Scheuch,  who  was  born 
in  Marburg,  Germany,  July  25,  1833. 

Children: 

HERMAN,  born  in  Clayville,  May  12,  1858;  married  June 
12,  1883,  Mary  Elizabeth  Germoud,  who  was  born  in 
Clayville,  March  31,  1861. 
Children: 

EUSE  Germond,    born  March  9,    1885;   died  July 

30,  1886. 
Marion  EliSE,   born  June   18,    1888;   died  May  9, 

1889. 
Helen  Majory,  born  May  24,  1890. 
DAVID  MILLARD  SCHEUCH,  born  June  24,  1864;  died 

February  3,  1880. 
CLARISSA   MILLARD   SCHEUCH,    born  in  New  York, 

September  15,  1866. 
HELEN  ELISE  SCHEUCH,  born  in  New  York,  Septem- 
ber 25,  1868. 
REBECCA   SCHEUCH,    born   in    New  York,    August  9, 
1870.      Married  October  2,  1895,  William  Kerr  Clark, 
of  Louisville,  Ky. 

3.  Helen  Clarissa,  third  daughter  of  D.  J.  and 
Clarissa  Mosher  Millard,  born  September  26,  1841. 
Married  June  g,  1869,  Correl  Humphrey,  who  was  born 
in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  May  10,  1838. 


IV.  Mary  Anne,  fourth  child  of  Abel  and  Sarah  Mosher, 
was  born  October  lo,  1810.  Married  Asa  Alenson  Butler,  son 
of  John  and  Hannah  Todd  Butler,  September  3,  1835.  He 
died  in  Sauquoit,  September  21,  1857.  She  died  April  11, 
1838. 

Children  : 

1.  Julia  Adelaide,  born  in  Sauquoit,  July  7,  1836; 
married  in  Utica,  May  26,  1868,  Erastus  Z.  Wright, 
who  was  born  in  Utica,  March  10,  1829. 

Children  : 

MABEL,  born  iu  Utica  November  6,  1869. 
ELIZABETH  BUTLER,  born  in  Utica,  August  3,  1871. 
BENJAMIN  HAGER,  born  in  Utica,  June  27,  1873. 
JULIA  HENRIETTE,  born  in  Utica,  June  17,  1877 

Elizabeth  Butler  Wright  married  September  15,  1896, 
Willis  N.  Mills,  a  lawyer,  in  Menominee,  Mich.,  who 
graduated  from  Hamilton  College  in  1894. 

2.  Henry  Alanson,  second  child  of  A.  A.  Butler  and 
Mary  Ann  Mosher,  was  born  February  6,  1838;  died  at 
Utica,  April  29,  1870. 

V.  Chauncey,  fifth  child  of  Abel  and  Sarah  Mosher,  was 
born  July,  182 1  ;  married  Nancy  Dickinson.  He  died  January 
9,  1850,  aged  28  years  5  months  29  days. 

Child : 

Elizabeth,  died,  aged  three  years. 

VI.  Augustus  T.,  sixth  child  of  Abel  and  Sarah  Mosher, 
was  born  April  24,  1819  ;  married  Catherine  I,eRoy,  February 
II,  1849.     She  was  born  May  27,  1826. 

Children  : 

I.     Ada   Mosher.   born  in   New  York,   February  18, 


34 

1856.     She  mar/ied  in  June,  1873,  Horace  C.  Sjdvester. 
He  was  born  in  Westminster,  Vt.,  September  16,  1843. 

Children: 

KATE,  born  in  Paris,  France,  July  26,  1875. 

N.  BRADLEY,  born  in  Paris,  France,  Miirch  4,  1S79. 

WARREN  LEROY,  born  in  Paris,  France,  May  14,  1882. 

HORACE  C,  born  in  New  York,  June  27,  1883. 

ADA,  born  in  New  York,  August  12,  1884. 

JACQUELINE,  born  in  New  York,  February  11,  1889. 

VII.  Frank  D.  Mosher,  youngest  son  of  Abel  Mosher, 
born  August  10,  1829.  Ser^^ed  three  3'ears  in  the  Civil  War; 
was  wounded  and  taken  prisoner.  After  the  war  he  became 
an  engineer  and  resided  in  New  Haven,  Conn. 

VI.  Daniel,  sixth  child  of  John  and  Hannah  Warren 
Mosher,  born  April  15,  1786.  Married  September  7,  18 15, 
Susanna  Barnard,  of  Rome,  who  was  born  September  8,  1787, 
at  Fitzwilliam,  N.  H.  Daniel  Mosher  died  in  Waterloo, 
N.  Y.,  June  13,  1851.  Susanna,  his  wife,  died  in  Phelps, 
N.  Y.,  May  28,  1869. 
Children : 

I.  Eliza,  born  August  22,  1816,  Whitestown,  N.  Y..; 
married  January  1 1 ,  1842,  Hutchins  Wight,  of  Waterloo, 
N.  Y.       Hutchins   Wight    died    September,    1882,    at 

Waterloo . 

Child: 

WARREN,  born  August  9,  1842,  in  Waterloo;  lives  in 
North  Carolina.  Warren  Wight  married  Fannie  Norris, 
of  Waterloo,  March,  1872.  She  died  June  14,  1886. 
Their  only  child,  Anna  Juniatta  Wight,  was  born  in 
Phelps,  N.  Y.,  February  19,  1876. 


2.  Susan  Ann  Mosher,  second  child  of  Daniel  and 
Susanna  Barnard  Mosher,  was  born  September  i8,  1820, 
at  Waterloo,  N.  Y.;  married  January  11,  1848,  in 
Waterloo,  to  Francis  Graves.  He  died  at  Waterloo, 
May  II,  1873.     No  children. 

3.  Catharine  Mosher,  third  child  of  Daniel  and 
Susanna  Barnard  Mosher,  was  born  in  Waterloo,  May 
27,  1828.  Married  James  R.  Snow,  of  Phelps,  N.  Y., 
January  11,  1852.  He  was  a  ph5^sician.  Died  June  3, 
1894,  at  Phelps,  N.  Y.  No  children.  She  died  (of 
pneumonia)  at  Phelps,  February  4,  1897. 

IX.  ABIJAH,  ninth  child  of  John  and  Hannah  Warren 
Mosher,  was  born  March  3,  1794,  at  Whitestown,  N.  Y.  He 
married  Caroline  Condit,  May,  1825.  She  was  born  December 
26,  1802.  Died  Februar}^  i,  1864.  He  was  a  soldier  of  the 
War  of  181 2. 

Children  : 

I.  George  O.  Mosher,  born  March  4,  1833;  died  March  13, 
1874.      He  married  Anna  Mann,  January  i,  1859. 

Children  . 

CARRIE  CONDIT,  born  June  26,  i860;  married  Morgan  L. 
Froue  in  1876;  died  November  8,  1895. 
•     GERTRUDE  E. ,  born  February,  1863  ;  died  Nov.  8,  1877. 
HARRIET,  born  1865,  died  1874. 
SARAH  F.,  born  September  28,  1867. 
ABBIE,  born  July  26,  1870. 
HUGH,  born  January,  1874,  died  February,  1874. 

II.  Sarah  E.  Mosher,  born  September  16,  1834.  Unmarried. 

III.  David  Brainard  Mosher,  born  February  27,  1838  (or 
January  i;  1839).     He  married  Jane  Ruddy,  July  4,  i860.  He 


36 

was  a  soldier  in  the   Civil   War,  and  a  prisoner  for  nearly  a 

year. 

Child  : 

William   Arthur,   born   April  2,    1861;  married  Elea- 

nora  Mickley,  June   18,    1881.     She  was  born  August 
18,  1857.     Children  : 

LILLIAN  CATHERINE,  born  March  13,  18S2. 
HOWARD  DAVID,  born  September  27,  1884. 
ADALINE  MICKLEY,  born  June  30,  1886. 
IV.     Charles  Condit  Mosher,  born   May  8,    1842.      Married 
Maria  A.  Badgley,  April  14,  1869.      Had  one  adopted  daugh- 
ter.    She  married  Arthur  M.  Seekell,  August  i,  1888.     Maria 
A.  Badgley  was  born  October,    1841.     Charles    Condit   was    a 
Union  soldier  in  the  Civil  War  from  October   8,    1861,  to  June 
27,  1865,  and  a  prisoner  of  war  in  Southern  prisons  from  April 
20,  1864,  to  March  i,  1865. 


Rev.  William  C.  Mosher,  third  son  of  Rev.  Charles  Mosher, 
was  born  at  Phelps,  N.  Y.,  April  24,  1820.  From  1830  to 
1835,  his  home  was  in  the  family  of  Wm.  R.  Collins,  first 
cousin  of  his  mother,  in  North  Guilford,  Conn.  In  1835  he 
returned  to  Ontario  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  in  1837  entered  Canandia- 
gua  Academy,  where  he  prosecuted  his  studies  preparatory  to 
entering  college.  In  1842  he  entered  Union  College,  in  the 
Sophomore  class,  and  was  graduated  in  1845.  For  one  year 
he  was  Principal  of  Springville  Academy.  For  four  years  he 
taught  a  Classical  School  near  Martinsburg,  Va.,  making  his 
home  with  Hon.  Edward  Colston,  his  principal  patron,  whose 
children  were  members  of  the  school.  Then  for  one  year  he 
taught  in  the  High  School  at  Alexandria,  Virginia.     In  1850, 


37 

he  entered  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Princeton,  N.  J.,  and 
prosecuted  a  three  years'  course  of  theological  study.  After 
graduation  he  was  ordained  by  the  Presbytery  of  New  Bruns- 
wick, and  commissioned  by  the  Presbyterian  Board  of  Home 
Missions  to  go  to  California  and  engage  in  ministerial  work. 
He  sailed  from  New  York  January  5,  1854,  for  Aspinwall, 
crossed  the  Isthmus  on  muleback  to  Panama,  and  thence 
sailed  to  San  Francisco,  reaching  there  February  3.  Soon 
after  his  arrival  he  took  charge  of  the  Presbyterian  church  in 
Stockton,  where  he  remained  two  years,  and  built  up  a  strong, 
self-sustaining  church.  In  March,  1856,  he  returned  East  as 
delegate  to  the  General  Assembly,  which  met  in  New  York, 
and  attended  all  its  sessions.  He  presented  an  overture  to  the 
Assembly  for  the  formation  of  a  new  presbytery  in  California, 
to  be  called  the  Presbytery  of  Benicia,  which  was  granted. 
Alter  the  Assembly  adjourned,  he  spent  some  time  in  travel- 
ling through  the  Western  States,  and  on  the  2d  of  April  was 
married  to  Miss  Marie  Louisa  Billings,  daughter  of  Col.  Chas. 
E.  Billings,  at  Trenton,  N.Y.  She  was  a  niece  of  Rev  Dr.  R. 
S.  Storrs,  of  Braintree,  Mass.,  and  cousin  of  Rev.  Dr.  R.  S. 
Storrs,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  April  27  he  removed  with  his  wife 
to  Pontiac,  Mich.,  having  received  a  call  to  become  pastor  of 
the  Presbyterian  church  in  that  place.  Here  his  two  oldest 
sons  were  born.  In  April,  i860,  he  w^as  elected  a  delegate  to 
the  General  Assembly,  which  met  in  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  on  the 
15th  of  May,  and  attended  all  its  sessions.  The  health  of  his 
wife  failing  from  lung  trouble,  and  requiring  a  change  of  cli- 
mate, he  resigned  his  charge  of  Pontiac  church,  with  a  view 
to  returning  to  California  to  try  the  effect  of  the  climate  there . 


3-^ 

He  sailed  with  his  wife  and  two  children  and  nurse  from  New 
York  and  reached  San  Francisco  December  i6th,  i860.  He 
first  spent  nine  months  in  Watson ville,  Santa  Cruz  County, 
but  finding  the  climate  too  foggy  and  damp  he  removed  to  the 
mountain  region  in  Amador  County  and  located  in  Jackson, 
the  county  seat.  In  this  place  and  in  lone  he  organized  two 
Presbyterian  churches,  to  which  he  ministered  for  a  year,  and 
then  removed  to  Mokelumne  Hill,  six  miles  north  of  Jackson, 
where  he  resided  for  three  years,  and  where  his  wife  died 
January  3,  1863.  Though  her  life  was  prolonged  by  a  change 
of  climate,  yet  the  change  was  made  too  late.  She  died  peace- 
fully on  the  Lord's  day,  committing  her  infant  daughhter, 
seven  weeks  old,  to  the  care  of  her  husband's  niece,  Emily 
L.  Barrows,  who  had  recently  arrived  from  Ontario,  Ind.,  in- 
tending to  reside  in  his  family  and  teach  school.  Her  arrival 
was  opportune  and  providential.  The  child,  who  was  named 
Jennie  Storrs,  could  not  have  been  committed  to  more  faithful 
hands.  Mrs.  Mosher  was  buried  by  loving  hands,  in  the  beau- 
tiful cemetery  at  Mokelumne  Hill,  a  few  feet  from  the  grave 
of  Mrs.  Daniel  Sheldon,  a  Christian  lady  who  had  died  two 
years  previously. 

January  3,  1864,  Emily  L.  Barrows  was  married  to  Thomas 
Stevenson.  Her  place  in  the  family  was  taken  by  her  sister, 
L,aura  M.  Barrows,  who  had  recently  arrived  from  Ontario, 
Ind.  July  I,  1865,  Rev.  W.  C.  Mosher  accepted  an  invitation 
to  teach  Latin  and  English  in  the  University  City  College  of 
San  Francisco,  of  which  Rev.  Dr.  P.  V.  Veeder  was  president. 
He  taught  in  the  college  about  nine  months,  during  which 
time  he  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  G.  Stratton,  daughter  of 


39 

Judge  Edward  Stratton,  of  Lexington,  Mo.,  who  was  then  re- 
siding in  San  Francisco.  The  marriage  ceremony  was  per- 
formed b}^  Rev.  Dr.  Charles  Wadsworth,  pastor  of  Calvary 
Church . 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Mosher  removed  to  Placerville,  Cal., 
where  he  supplied  the  Presbyterian  Church  for  about  one  year. 
Having  been  offered  strong  inducements  to  go  to  Georgia  and 
labor  among  the  freedmen,  he  decided  to  go,  and  removed 
there  with  his  family  in  March,  1867.  He  went  to  New  York 
by  steamer  and  thence  by  rail  to  Madison,  Georgia.  He  re- 
mained in  Georgia  four  years,  during  which  time  he  estab- 
lished schools  for  the  freedmen,  gave  them  religious  instruc- 
tion, and  at  the  same  time  preached  to  the  white  churches  in 
Madison  and  Mouticello.  In  April,  1871,  he  returned  to  Cali- 
fornia, where  for  three  years  he  preached  to  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  Wilmington,  Los  Angeles  County,  and  then  re- 
moved to  the  place  where  Pasadena  now  stands.  It  was  then 
an  open  country  and  used  as  a  sheep  pasture.  He  went  to  this 
place  in  July,  1871,  and  bought  40  acres  of  land,  part  of  which 
he  planted  in  trees  and  vines.  The  land  had  been  purchased 
by  Calvin  Fletcher,  of  Indianapolis,  for  a  colony,  and  was 
named  the  Indiana  Colony,  but  the  name  was  afterwards 
changed  to  Pasadena.  Within  a  few  months  Mr.  Mosher 
organized  a  Presbyterian  church,  to  which  he  ministered  for 
two  years,  and  then  resigned  his  pastorate  to  engage  in  home 
mission  work,  chiefly  among  the  Spanish-speaking  people. 
By  the  distribution  of  Spanish  testaments  and  tracts,  and  by 
personal  conversation ,  he  prepared  the  way  for  organization  of 
several  Spanish  churches.      He  also  put  into  circulation  thou- 


40 

sands  of  Christian  books,  tracts  and  Sunday  school  literature, 
and  visited  every  part  of  the  six  southern  counties  of  California 
many  times.  He  preached  nearly  every  Sabbath,  and  was  in- 
strumental in  the  establishment  of  many  churches.  His  entire 
ministry  up  to  the  year  1898  has  been  48  years.  The  number 
of  his  children  has  been  six  sons  and  four  daughters,  of  whom 
one  son  died  in  infancy.  He  has  seen  Pasadena  develop  from 
a  sheep  pasture  to  a  beautiful  city  of  12,000  inhabitants.  As 
old  age  came  on  he  felt  the  necessity  of  retiring  from  ministerial 
work  and  promoting  the  welfare  of  his  family,  and  of  the  city 
of  which  he  was  one  of  the  oldest  residents, 


The  Star  newspaper,  of  Pasadena,  Cal.,  in  1886  published 
the  following  article  : — 

Congressman  Markham  presented  to  Congress  a  Bill  for  the  payment 
of  a  claim  due  the  heirs  of  Capt.  John  Mosher,  who  served  five  years 
during  the  Revolutionary  War,  without  pay,  was  disabled  at  the  battle 
of  Monmouth,  and  permitted  by  General  Washington  to  retire  on  half 
pay  for  life,  as  a  supernumerary  officer.  He  died  in  1817,  having  re- 
ceived none  of  the  pay  to  which  he  was  entitled.  He  saw  five  years  of 
hard  service  in  the  war. 

This  is  the  oldest  claim  before  Congress,  and  is  of  interest  not  only 
because  of  its  age,  but  because  of  the  historical  associations  connected 
with  it.  Capt.  John  Mosher  was  authorized  by  the  Colony  of  Massa- 
chusetts Bay,  in  1775,  to  recruit  a  company  of  foot  soldiers.  His  com- 
mission was  signed  by  Joseph  Warren,  afterwards  famous  in  the  Revo. 
lutionary  war.  In  the  following  year  his  company  of  foot  soldiers 
became  a  part  of  the  Continental  Army,  and  Mosher's  commission  as 
captain  was  signed  by  John  Hancock.  Mosher  was  at  the  head  of  his 
company  at  Lexington,  Concord  and  Bunker  Hill,  and  when  General 
Warren  was  killed  he  fell  into  Mosher's  arms,  who  supported  his  head 
until  he  died.     Mosher  had  two  brothers  killed  in  this    battle.     He  also 


41 

took  an  active  part  iu  the  battles  of  Saratoga,  White  Plains,  Long 
Island,  Brandywine  and  Germantown,  and  in  the  battle  of  Monmouth  he 
fell  from  a  sunstroke,  being  overcome  by  the  excessive  heat.  He  was 
carried  off  the  field  by  Major  Hull.  As  he  was  never  able  to  do  military 
duty  afterwards.  General  Washington  gave  him  the  following  certificate: 

"This  may  certify  that  Lieut.  John  Mosher,  of  the  8th  Mass.  Regi- 
ment, served  in  said  regiment  as  a  captain  from  January  i,  1776,  to 
January  i,  1780,  and  then  retired  on  the  resolutions  of  Congress  of 
October  3rd  and  21st,  1780,  as  supernumerary  officer.  During  the  service 
he  ever  behaved  as  an  officer  and  gentleman. 

"GEO.  WASHINGTON." 

Thus  it  was  proved  that  as  supernumerary  officer  he  was  entitled  to 
five  years'  pay  for  actual  service,  and  to  half  pay  for  life.  Although  he 
was  commissioned  a  lieutenant,  he  was  the  actual  commander  of  his 
company,  the  nominal  captain  being  on  the  sick  list  with  leave  of 
absence,  and  died.  The  claim  was  presented  to  the  House  by  Hon. 
Reuben  Felton,  of  New  York,  and  acted  upon  favorably  by  the  House, 
but  was  never  taken  up  by  the  Senate.  Hon.  H.  H.  Markham  has  all 
the  original  papers  and  proofs,  which  are  yellow  with  age,  and  almost 
priceless  for  the  signatures  they  contain. 


GENEAI.OGY  OF  THE  FAMILY  OF  EVAN  MOSHER, 
OF  I.ONG  BEACH,  CAL- 

1.  Ensign  Hugh  Mosher,  son  of  Stephen  Mosher,  of  Man- 

chester,   England,    born    about   a.d.    16 10.       Died    at 
Dartmouth.  1700. 

2.  Hugh  Mosher  2d,  son  of  the  above,  born   1633,    died 

17 13.     Married  Rebecca  Harndell. 

3.  Joseph,  third  son  of  the  above,  born  1670,  at  Dartmouth, 

Mass.;  died  1754.     Married  I^ydia  Tabor,  born  1673. 

4.  James,  son  of  the  above,  born  December  18,  1704.     Mar- 

ried Sarah  Da  vol,  December  25,  1729. 


42 

5-      ICHABOD,  son  of  the  above,  born  1750,  died  18 15. 

6.  Jonathan,  second  son  of  the  above,  born  1786,  died  1848. 

7.  Leonard,  sixth  son  of  Jonathan,   born   181 1,  died  Sept. 

14,    1886.     Children : 

Evan,  Margaret,  Weeden  G.,  Charles  L.,  Mrs.  Helen  C.  Taitt. 

8.  Evan,  son  of  L,eonard  Mosher,  born  August  4,  1840.    His 

daughter,  Katharine  Anthea,  born  in  Governeur,  N.Y., 
November  6,  1875. 


GENEALOGY    OF    THE    FAMILY    OF    SARAH 
ELIZABETH  (MOSHER)  WEAVER. 

Jonathan,  second  son  of  Ichabod  Mosher,  mentioned  above, 
born  1786,  died  1848.     Children  were  : 

Duty,    Anna,    Alanson,    Weeden,    Stephen,    Eunis,    Lydia 
Leonard. 

Knnis,   the  sixth   son  of  Jonathan,   was  born ?     Married 

Catherine  Barbour,  183S.     Children  were  : 

Charles,  Albert,  Sarah  Elizabeth,  Adelia  and  Ferdinand. 
Sarah  Elizabeth  Mosher  was  born   in  McKej^sville,  Jeffer- 
son County,  N.Y.,  May  25,  1840.      Married  George  E. 
Weaver  December  22,  1862.     Children  : 
Kate  E.,  Clarence  Jones,  and  Ralph  Mosher. 


GENEALOGY  OF  THE  FAMILY  OF  E.  BRADFORD 
MOSHER,  OF  CHICAGO. 

1.  Ensign  Hugh  Mosher,  son  of  Stephen  Mosher,  of  Man- 

chester, Eng.,  born  about  16 10. 

2.  Rev.    Hugh   Mosher   2d,   son  of  the  above,  born  1633. 

Married  Rebecca  Harndell. 


43 

3-  Daniel,  fifth  son  of  Mugh  Mosher  and,  and  grandson  of 
Ensign  Mugh  Mosher,  born  1678,  died  1751,  at  Dart- 
mouth.    Married  Elizabeth  Edwards,  1704. 

1.  Constant,  fourth  son  of  Daniel,  born  September 
II,  1 7 13,  at  Dartmouth,  Mass.  Married  Sarah 
Sherman,  October  5,  1737,  at  Dartmouth. 

2.  EiviHU,  seventh  son  of  Constant,  born  1789,  Jan. 
13,  at  Dartmouth;  died  April  21,  1873,  at  New 
Bedford,  Mass.  Married  Merribah  Shepherd,  born 
Nov.  19,  1794,  at  Dartmouth,  died  May  3,  1864,  at 
New  Bedford. 

3.  Elihu  Mott,  son  of  the  above,  born  February 
28,  1824,  at  New  Bedford.  Married  Adelia  Ann 
Mathaway,  widow  of  Abijah  Mathaway,  daughter 
of  Joseph  and  Nancy  (Martin)  Peck,  March  10, 
1850.    Born  February  15,  1829,  at  Pawtucket,  R.I. 

4.  E.   Bradford,  third  son  of  the  above,  born  Jan. 
24,  i860,  at  New  Bedford,    Mass.     Married,   Sept. 
24,  1889,    Sarah  Adelaide  Chadwick,   daughter  of 
Moses  and  Sarah  Ann  Davis,  born  March  9,  1863. 

Their  children: 

he  Roy  Bradford,  bora  at  Chiqago,  July  18,  1890. 
Angeline  Kent,         "  '■  June  17,  1892. 

Allen  Alpha,  "  "  Feb.  26,  1896. 

Leona  Beta,  "  "  Feb.  26,  1896. 

He  is  collecting  material  for  a  genealogy  of  the  entire 
Mosher  family. 


44 

GENEALOGY  OF  THE  FAMILY  OF  LEROY 
EUGENE  MOSHER. 

1 .  Ensign  and  Rev.  Hugh  Mosher,  son  of  Stephen  Mosher, 

of  Manchester,  England,  came  to  Boston  in  1636. 

2.  Rev.  Hugh  Mosher,  2nd,  born  1633,  died  1713. 

3.  James,  son  of  Hugh,  2nd,  born  1675,  died   1739. 

4.  Daniel,  son  of  James,  born  1705,  died  1784. 

5.  Aaron  Wells  Vermont,  son  of  Daniel,  born  1776,  died 

1864.     Married  Ruth  Richardson. 

6.  Arch ALAUS,  son  of  Aaron,   born  at   Rutland,    Vt.,    181 1. 

Married  1840  to  Cynthia  Jane  McCullough. 

7.  Leroy  Eugene,  son   of  Archalaus,   born   1849  in  Chau- 

taugua  county,  N.  Y.,  married  Katie  Bayliss  1872, 
married  Emma  White-Solis  1879,  married  Ray  Baum, 
of  San  Francisco,  1888. 

8.  Maud    Bayliss,    daughter  of    Leroy   Eugene  and   Katie 

Bayliss,  born   1873. 

9.  Katie  Eugenia,   daughter  of   Leroy   Eugene   and  Katie 

Bayliss,  born   1878. 

10.  Cephas  Freeland,  son  of  Archalaus,    born    1845,    mar- 

ried Lena  Wallace,  1870. 

Children  : 

LEO  W.,  born  187 1 
ARTHUR  A.,  born  1873. 
IVAN  v.,  born  1877. 
MYRTIE  E.,  born  1880. 


45 

I.EROY  EUGENE  MOSHER 

At  present  Managing  Editor  of  the  Los  Angeles  Times,  was 
in  1857  taken  by  his  parents  to  the  State  of  Kansas,  where  his 
mother  died,  on  a  wild  western  prairie,  when  the  boy  was  but 
eight  years  of  age.  Soon  after  his  mother's  death,  the  lad 
was  put  out  to  live  on  a  farm  and  at  the  age  of  nine  years 
was  doing  a  man's  work  behind  the  plow,  as  well  as  the 
usual  boy's  "chore  work"  in  addition.  His  pay  for  the  first 
year  was  his  board,  and  schooling  in  winter.  The  second 
year  he  was  to  get  $5  per  month,  but  the  pay  never  material- 
ized. After  having  been  shifted  about  among  different 
families  as  a  "bound  boy"  so  to  speak,  young  Mosher  soon 
after  his  fourteenth  birthday  (having  made  two  previous  at- 
tempts to  enter  the  army,  the  first  time  in  1861,  when  he  was 
ambitious  to  become  a  drummer  bo3^)  enlisted  in  a  Kansas 
Cavalry  Regiment,  (the  gth)  serving  the  last  year  and  a  half 
of  the  civil  war  as  bugler,  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  was 
promoted  to  wear  the  stripes  of  a  corporal.  Soon  after 
being  mustered  out  of  the  army,  he  went  to  a  district  school 
for  ten  months,  which  concluded  his  "education." 

In  1867,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  entered  the  railway 
service  in  Kansas,  and  served  several  different  eastern  corpor- 
ations in  minor  positions  from  telegraph  operator  to  station 
agent.  He  came  to  California  in  1874,  entering  the  service, 
soon  after  his  arrival,  of  the  Cerro  Gordo  Freighting  Company, 
a  teaming  enterprise  engaged  in  bringing  silver  and  lead 
bullion  from  the  mines  at  Panamint  to  the  railroad  at  San 
Fernando,  and  other  points.  In  1875,  he  became  connected 
with  the  Southern  Pacific  Company  as  agent,  first  at  San  Fer- 


46 

nando  and  later  at  Compton  and  Colton,  in  California,  serving 
at  the  latter  place  for  five  years.  In  1880,  he  was  given  charge 
of  the  station  at  Stockton,  and  in  1883  was  transferred  to  the 
local  agency  at  L,os  Angeles,  and  in  1885  was  promoted  to  be 
general  commercial  agent  of  that  company,  and  given  charge 
of  all  traffic  in  Southern  California. 

On  January  i,  1887,  he  resigned  from  the  railway  service  to 
engage  in  the  organization  of  a  gas  corporation  in  the  city  of 
I^os  Angeles,  with  which  he  remained  connected  until  1889, 
when  the  two  city  gas  companies  consolidated.  The  same 
year  of  his  resignation  from  the  railway  service,  Mr.  Mosher 
became  one  of  the  owners  of  the  Los  Angeles  Times,  but  did 
not  become  directly  connected  otherwise  with  the.  paper  until 
1 89 1,  when  he  assumedthedutiesof  dramatic  critic  and  special 
writer.  The  following  year  he  was  made  the  paper's  business 
manager,  and  continued  in  that  capacity  until  1895,  when  he 
was  transferred  to  the  editorial  department  and  in  June,  1898, 
was  made  managing  editor,  upon  the  entry  of  the  paper's  chief 
owner.  General  Harrison  Gray  Otis,  into  the  military  service 
of  the  United  States  in  the  war  against  Spain.  Mr.  Mosher  is 
actively  in  newspaper  harness  and  his  work  is  constantly  be- 
fore the  people  in  the  great  journal  of  the  southern  part  of  the 
State,  The  Times,  which  is  a  power  for  law  and  order  and  the 
general  good  of  the  land. 


The  name  Hugh  Mosher,  son  of  John  Mosher  of  Manches- 
ter, England,  who  spent  most  of  his  life  in  India,  is  associated 
with  a  great  fortune  which  he  made  in  India,    during  the  17th 


47 

Century.  After  his  death  his  property  was  estimated  at 
^32,000,000.  Reliable  traditions  show  that  he  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  East  India  Company,  and  that  he  made  investments 
in  the  stocks  of  that  company  which  became  very  valuable. 
He  was  sent  by  the  company  to  India  as  secretary  to  Gov. 
Charnock;  who,  after  his  arrival,  established  trading  posts  on 
the  Hoogly  river,  an  affluent  of  the  Ganges,  100  miles  from 
the  sea.  Calcutta  had  no  existence  prior  to  1686.  In  that 
year  Gov.  Charnock,  who  had  been  trading  higher  up  the  river, 
obtained  from  the  native  ruler  of  Bengal  a  large  tract  of  land 
twenty-six  miles  lower  down  the  river.  On  his  land  stood 
three  mud  villages,  one  of  which  was  named  Calicut — a  name 
which  Charnock  changed  to  Calcutta.  Here  he  built  a  fort 
and  established  a  factory,  at  which  an  immense  trade  was 
carried  on.  Calcutta  grew  rapidly,  and  at  length  became  the 
metropolis  of  British  India. 

After  Gov.  Charnock  had  secured  the  land  above  mentioned, 
he  permitted  Hugh  Mosher,  his  secretary,  to  purchase  a  part 
of  it.  He  selected  that  part  most  remote  from  the  river  be- 
cause the  land  there  was  more  elevated  than  the  low  lands 
along  the  river,  and  for  that  reason  more  healthful.  After- 
wards, when  its  healthfulness  was  discovered,  it  was  sought 
after  for  residences  by  the  wealthier  citizens,  and  became  the 
fashionable  portion  of  the  city.  In  a  few  years  the  rise  in  the 
value  of  real  estate  made  Hugh  Mosher  one  of  the  wealthiest 
residents  of  Calcutta.  Before  his  death  his  estate  was  valued 
at  ^32,000,000. 

In  his  old  age  he  returned  to  England,  where,  in  considera- 
tion of  his  wealth    and  the  valuable   services  he  had  rendered 


48 

to  the  East    India  Company,    he  was   elevated  to  the  peerage, 
and  created  a  baron. 

As  he  left  no  children  to  inherit  his  property,  and  as  no  heirs 
appeared  to  claim  it  for  a  century,  it  probably  reverted  to  the 
English  Crown. 


The  Compiler  is  indebted  to  the  following  Autho7'ities  for  the 
ififorynation  necessary  to  construct  a  coi'rect  History  and 
Genealogy  of  the  Mosher  Family  : — 

Colonial  Period,  by  Thomas  Savage,  Vol.  I.,  p.  30. 

Records  of  Mass.  Bay  Colony,  Vol.  I.,  p.  219. 

Hist,  of  Falmouth,  Me.,  Vol.  I.,  p.  30. 

Narragansett  Hist.  Register,  Vol  II  ,  p.  291. 

Austin's  Genealogical  Diet.,  p.  134-138. 

Butler's  Hist,  of  Groton,  p.  153-157. 

Lexington  Alarm  Book. 

History  of  Greenwich,  Conn. 

New  England  Historical  and  Genealocical  Register. 

Essex  Institute  Historical  Collections,  33  Vols. 

Mss.  of  Rev.  Charles  Mosher,  1828. 


